Automatic extinguishing apparatus



June 25, 1929.

AUTOMATIC EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS Filed July 16 1921 Patented an. 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST A. 'LOWE, OF IPLAINFIELD, JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MEN TS, T0 AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER COMPANY OF AMERICA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A

CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

AUTOMATIC EXTINGUI SHING APPARATUS.

Application filed July 16,

promptly in the event of fire to prevent serious loss. For this purpose it is desirable to have the extinguishing apparatus operated, or controlled by rate of rise devices'such' as a vented air thermostat, which may be used alone or in .connection with a fusible link or other definite or fixed temperature thermostat or release. A portable form of device is often advantageous, and apail or container may be arranged to support or contain two normally separated chemicals or liquids which may produce the fire extinguishing foam on mixture, while an upper v or release chamber containing or supporting the releasing or controlling devices, may be connected to the bottom chamber or container to form a convenient or portablelunit. In the accompanying drawing showin in a somewhat diagrammatic way the preferred form of this invention, Fig. l is a Vertical sectionthrough one illustrative apparatus. Fig. 2 is a detail transverse section thereof, taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the bottom element or pail 1 may be formed with a series of discharge holes 38 adjacent its upper portion and a supporting ring or device 36 may be arranged or secured to thepail bottom, and provided with holes orother channels 37, so as to conveniently support a breakable container 32 of glass or other suitable ma".- terial, and preferably having a thin'breaking socket such vas 35 adjacent the bottom. This container which may exte'nd above the bottom pail or element iii some cases may advantageously contain the acid reacting element or chemical 34, such as suitable acid or aluminum sulphate solution where foam producing. chemicals are employed. The cooperating chemical 54 may be arranged in 1921. Serial No. 485,398. x

ably produce foam or bubbles of a more or a less permanent character containing non-inflammable gases. desirable to prevent evaporation of or moisture absorption by these chemicals and'for this purpose thin films or layers of heavy oil 33 1and 53 may be used on top of the chemica s.

The upper element or release chamber 4: of suitable sheet metal for instance may have a connected 'unction portion 3 fitting within the top of t e pail and connected to a bottom partition, which may advantageously comprise a covered flange 2 of such size and shape as to accommodate the top of the acid jar 32. The releasing or controlling devices are arranged within and secured to the release chamber, so as to be protected there- For some purposes it is Y i by, and it is convenient to have the bottom partition reinovably connected to this re-" lease chamber as by the bolts 39, so as to gain access to these parts when desired. The control devices are preferably arranged adjacent the upper part of the release chambar, and may advantageously be secured on top of the same in some cases, where they are exposed to the heat and'atmospheric conditions near the ceiling or other partition above the dipping tank or other device to be protected. For this extreme service or light inflammable liquid; Any suitable for this ervice; since even in a cold room the burm g oil or solvent at once produces a temperature rise of many degrees per form of gate of rise thermostat is desirable minute, so that the extinguisher often opcrates in a few seconds, much before a serviceable fusible link or fixed temperature release could function. A vented air thermostat release is preferably used, the air chamber 11 of such a device being shown as mounted above the release chamber 4 and within a cage or skeleton protecting case 10 secured'to the top of the release chamber. The airtube 12 may extend down into the release chamber and be connected as by the coupling 13 with a vented diaphragm chamber 15 having therein or adjacent thereto any suitable vent shown diagrammatically as ,74,

and containing the light metal diaphragm 16 so that this vented air system raises the diaphragm on increases of temperature at-a rate exceeding the safe ornormal rate allowed for, and this raises the pin 17 as to swing the release lever 18 about its pin 19. The other end of this release lever then moves down below the end 21 of the latch lever 20, so that this lever. can swing horlzontally about its supporting .pin 22 under the actlon of a suitable spring if desired, so as tocarry its end 23 out of the path of its catch 24 on the swingin weight 25 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This weight is then released and swings down in the direction of the ar row, so t at when it assumes, its dotted line position shownin 2, it strikes the end of th impact lever 30 and turns this about its pi 0t 29, so as to give a quick and strong impulse to the impact rod 31. The lower end of this rod, which extends through the flange top for guldance, punches out or breaks the socket 35 in the bottom of the acid container 32 and effects the mixture of the extinguishing chemicals which foam out thror rgh the discharge holes 38, so that the li ht and buoyant fire extinguishing foam is elivered into the dipping tank below.

In some cases a fusible link or fixed temperature thermostat may also be used, the fusible link elements '42, 44 being shown as connected by solder or the like 43, so that this link which may be secured on the projection 40 is released at an excessive temperature independently of the rate of rise of temperature and allows the releasing arm 46, extending through the hole 45 in'the lowerlink element, to drop as the' arm swings about its pin 47 under the action of, the

The connected catch 48 then spring 49. moves away from the auxiliaryweight 52 so that this weight can descend its pin 51, under the action of the spring 50 if desired, so as to strike, and operate'the impact lever 30 as before described. As indicated in Fig. 2 a squared key end 28 may bearranged on the 1 weight 25 so as to be engaged by a key in serted through a holein the release chamber to restore the weight in its set position shown in full lines after it strikes the sto 55 on the bracket 26 for example. Similar rackets a release chamber adapte or other parts of the apparatus rom the release chamber top for example.

This invention has been described in a preferred form, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, since what is claimed as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patcut is set forth in the appended claims.

, 1 claim:

1. In automatic fire extinguishing apparatus adapted to be used adjacent dip mg tanks or generally similar highly in ammable material, a portable container com.- prising a bottom pail having adjacent its upper portions a series of discharge holes and having a supporting ring on its lower inside portion to support a breakable open top container for one of the normally separated foam producin chemicals, and to fit the upper part of said pail and having a bottom partition and upwardly pro ecting covered flange therein to accommodate the up-' per portion of saidbreakable container an air chamber and a fusible link mounted on top of said releasing chamber to be exposed to the adjacent, heat and air conditions, an impact rod engaging the bottom of said breakable container and extending through and ided by the top of said flange, an impact ever cooperating with said impact rod, weights cooperating therewith, a vented diaphragm' chamber connected to said air chamber and mounted within said releasing chamber and releasing devices controling said weights and o erated by said diaphragm' and said fusib e link to promptly discharge such fire extinguishing material on abnormal rate of temperature rise.

2. In automatic fire extinguishing *apparatus adapted to be used ad aeent dip ing tanks or generally similar highly in ammable material, a portable container comprising a bottom pail having adjacent its upper portions a series of discharge holes and having a breakable container for one of the normally se arated foam'producing chemicals, and a re ease chamber adapted to 'fit the upper part of said pail and having a -with, a vented diaphragm chamber connected to said air chamber and mounted within said releasing chamber and releasing devices controlling said-weights and o erated b said diaphragm to promptly disc arge sue fire extinguishing material on abnormal rate of temperature rise. 1 I

3. In' automatic fire extinguishing apparatus adapted to be used ad acent dipping tanks or generally similar highly inflammable material, a container com rising a bottom member having adjacent lts upper portions a series of discharge holes and containing normally separated chemicals and a release chamber adapted to'fit said bottom element, an air chamber mounted on said relea ing chamber to be exposed to the adjacent heat and air conditions, a vented dia- *phragm chamber coimected to said air chamher and mounted within said releasing chamber and cooperating releasing devices to effect the mixture of said chemicals. f

4. An automatic fire extinguishing apparatus comprising separated containers for chemicals adapted when brought into communication to produce an effervescent fire extinguishing medium means to provide for the escape anddispersion of said efiervescentmedium, and mechanism for efiecting a means of communication for. said chemica ls from one of said containers.to the other,

- said communication efiecting mechanism inmeans of communication for said chemicals from one of said containers to the other,

said communication efl'ecting mechanism ineluding a rate of rise thermostat and a fixed temperature thermostat,'each of said ther-' mostats being capable of controlling said communication effecting mechanism indeother.

pendently of the. ERNEST A. LOWE.

.40 medium, and mechanism for effecting a 

